Torin softbox 500M³

A softbox of 500 m³/h with a Torin blower in rubber, in a 12 mm MDF case with foam lining. 160 mm flanges, power draw 55 watts.

Wood in a humid room

An MDF case damps better than steel, but there is one property on the other side of the ledger, and it matters more in a grow room than elsewhere.

MDF is pressed wood fibre and glue. It takes up water, and unlike solid timber it swells permanently as it does: the fibres expand, the board thickens and starts to wave, and that deformation does not go away when it dries again. The most vulnerable place is a cut edge, where the fibres lie open.

Extracted grow-room air is warm and humid. While that air is moving through the box it is no problem, since moving air does not condense. It goes wrong where condensation stands: against a cold outside wall, in an unheated space where the box cools while humid air sits inside it, or under a dripping duct.

Three things keep that away. Do not stand the box hard against a cold wall; leave a gap behind it. Let extraction run on a low setting through the dark period rather than switching off, so no still humid air is left standing inside. And do not stand it on a wet floor.

Under those conditions an MDF box lasts years. If your set-up is somewhere permanently wet, the steel or the EPP version is the wiser choice.

Technical Specifications:

• Housing: MDF
• Panel thickness: 12 mm
• Blower: Torin, suspended in rubber
• Damping: acoustic foam
• Maximum capacity: 500 m³/h
• Connections: 160 mm in and out
• Power: 55 watts

Frequently asked questions

Can an MDF box handle grow-room air?
Moving humid air, yes. It goes wrong with condensation that stands.

Can I clean it with a wet cloth?
Wiping it damp is fine, but keep water off the edges and do not let it stand.

What is better in a wet room?
The steel version, or the EPP box, which takes up no moisture at all.